David Laird, The Bare lounge chair (FURNITURE 2025)

Photos:

David Laird

Country

New Zealand

The Bare Lounge Chair has been designed to use the smallest number of inputs to develop a sustainable and functional lounge chair that shows a design response to current environmental considerations. The chair uses no glue and is constructed using timber threads and dovetail joints so the chair can be assembled easily when required or unscrewed for a small footprint for transport and storage. The backrest is hand stitched locally sourced saddlery leather, a byproduct of the meat industry and has been tanned in vegetable oil. The timber used has been sourced from end-of-life hardwoods that date back to early plantings in New Zealand circa 1860. Currently where I live local Councils management of these trees is to mulch all of these tree on removal because it is fast. I have designed this chair to show the value and beauty that can be obtained when these trees are managed as a resource and not a waste product, giving the tree a second material life. The main part of the tree has been source from a wind thrown Elm tree on walnut legs and maple backrest spindles. These two timbers have been used as they cut cleanly for the threads that allow the chair to unscrew. These threads have been lubricated with lanolin oil a natural product of NZ wool industry Finished in naturally derived oils and waxes containing no VOCS. Biogenic carbon content: 37.8 kg CO2

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